Rev. Jaime Nieves

Christian Author and Animal Advocate

Jaime Nieves, also known as "The Creature Preacher," is an ordained United Methodist pastor and passionate advocate for animals. With a journey spanning ministry, global mission work, and hands-on advocacy, Jaime promotes compassionate stewardship of God's creatures. From her work in elephant sanctuaries to her faith-inspired teachings, she inspires others to respect and care for all animals. As an author, Jaime shares her vision of interconnected cohabitation, encouraging responsible dominion rooted in love, respect, and faith.

Although determined to be a veterinarian as a young girl, Jaime’s life journey took a different turn. She spent the next 20-plus years working in advertising, marketing, and television promotion in Alabama and Colorado as a copywriter and promotion editor.

Following that, Jaime chased the “Wild Goose” (the Holy Spirit, or An Geadh-Glas in Celtic Christianity) and became a Hispanic-Latino Plan Missionary for the United Methodist Church’s General Board of Global Ministry in 2008. Jaime couldn’t ignore her call to ministry. In 2011, Jaime became a Licensed Local Pastor, serving two churches on Colorado’s eastern plains.

Then in 2015, she chose the path of ordination and attended seminary at The Iliff School of Theology in Denver while serving in her third pastoral appointment. She graduated in 2018 with her Master of Divinity degree and was fully ordained in 2021.

Although she never became a veterinarian, Jaime took her love for animals along on her sacred journey halfway around the world. In 2019, Jaime and her sister, Sara, traveled to Thailand, to work on Elephant Valley Thailand, a sanctuary for rescued elephants. Jaime left there more determined to advocate for the care, respect, and love for all of God’s precious creatures!

Statement from the Author

I am passionately seeking ecumenical opportunities in which I can encourage people to explore new compassionate and respectful practices in which we can live into equal, interconnected cohabitation of the earth with all animals. I also want to discover ways in which all of humankind can authentically serve as Good Stewards of God's creatures (or whatever name is given to the Higher Power to which that person prays) by perfectly mirroring the kind of dominion over animals that our Higher Power exercises over humankind.

In my humble opinion, dominion doesn't translate into treating animals cruelly, inhumanely, without regard for the quality of their lives, and for our own selfish entertainment. I believe we are called to care for animals with compassion, love, gentleness, respect, appreciation, patience, understanding, and the utmost concern for abundance of life. The bottom line is that we all can be – and need to be – better stewards and guardians of animals.  

I am literally sickened by the heartless, cruel, abusive, and arrogant ways humankind treats animals: as if they were expendable "playthings" we have the authority to use as we want and then discard without a care when we're finished oppressing and exploiting them. As you might imagine, I am not a fan of animal circuses, rodeos, zoos/petting zoos, bullfighting, dog fighting, cockfighting, hunting/trophy hunting, using animals in movies/television, or using animals for medical, product, or cosmetic experimentation. I truly want to make a difference in the lives of all animals and want to help them in whatever ways I can. Will you join me on this exciting and important journey? Together, we can make great things happen for all animals everywhere!